DenPasar is a new program at CushCush Gallery (CCG) that aims to put Denpasar in the art and design mapping in Bali. Conceived as an annual group exhibition at CCG, DenPasar2017 aims to present the aspirations of current creative generation.

In keeping with CCG's goal of actively seeking fresh perspectives, potentially intertwining the different disciplines and contemporary art and design to interact and collaborate, CCG envisions DenPasar2017 would introduce artists and young creatives who are based in Bali to create works that speak of Denpasar.

DenPasar’s major theme pays homage to the significant role of the ‘Pasar’ (market) in the development of Denpasar city with its many interesting traditional markets and its diverse characteristics. Every year there will be a specific theme and for this year it is “Bahasa Pasar” or Market Language.

DenPasar2017 is going to be held at the end of May through to August 2017, alongside with the Bali Arts Festival (Pesta Kesenian Bali) in Denpasar. In conjunction with the 3 months DenPasar2017 exhibition, CCG invites public to participate in a series of program: meet the artists sessions, workshops and art / design talks, in collaboration with invited artists, designers, and institutions, including KITAPOLENG, Urban Sketchers Bali, Arsip Bali 1928.In conjunction with DenPasar2017 program, CCG also will place DenPasar2017 Art+Design Map at selected places all around Bali, including Denpasar, Seminyak, Canggu, Ubud, and others, to invite travellers to explore and find out the creative side of Denpasar city.

Road to DenPasar2017

For DenPasar2017, CCG invited artists and creative communities to understand and respond to “Bahasa Pasar” in the form of 2 dimensional artworks with specified size 60x40cm.Through an open call in January and February 2017, CCG had selected 17 participants from different creative backgrounds. They include architects, dancers, fashion designers, jewelry designers, graphic designers, photographers, street artists, fine artists and many more.To facilitate the 17 participants, CCG held a "Melali Ke Pasar" (journey to the market) event to brief participants in exploring the theme.MELALI KE PASAR was implemented in one day, consisting of 2 parts: DenPasar Talk and DenPasar Walk.DenPasar Talk with invited speakers: Marlowe Bandem and Ayip Budiman. Sharing session with Marlowe Bandem who shared the role of documentation through art and other creative means, which is deeply embedded in Bali’s culture, and Ayip Budiman who discussed the importance of ‘Sense of place and iconography’.

After the talk, participants join DenPasar Walk where they go together to a variety of markets in Denpasar using a rented Bemo (local van transportation) to experience and explore markets directly.

CushCush Gallery, an addition to CushCush family, is conceived as a platform for creative collaborations in contemporary art + design. It is an alternative gallery that embraces interactions and celebrates multi-disciplinary creativity through explorations of intersections of art, design, materiality, techniques and crafts.CushCush Gallery was opened in 2016 with a solo exhibition of “Crucible”, that was the outcome of CCG creative-in-resident program with Australian designer, academic and educator Ross McLeod. At the same time, “Future Canggu” exhibition was presented by design interns from RMIT (Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology) who responded to a specific site in Canggu, Bali. Working together with LagiLagi initiative, CushCush Gallery co-organised CHARCOAL FOR CHILDREN workshops that involved local and international artists and creative communities to explore drawing charcoal together with children. In ‘MAKE YOUR OWN CHARCOAL’ workshops, the techniques of how to make your own DIY charcoal is shared with participants.In 2017 CushCush Gallery is hosting a year round program of curated exhibitions, residency, workshops and collaborations that focuses on the development of contemporary art + design experiences in Denpasar and Bali, through facilitating exchanges between local and international community of artists and creatives and Bali.